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No matter how high the quality of the homes and amenities in your community is, it’s inevitable that over time they’ll need maintenance to keep up their appearance and performance. Ultimately, some will need to be replaced—and members will be required to pay for the expense. It...

Because the decisions that a board makes very rarely please everyone, you could find yourself having to prevent unacceptable behavior toward board members. A board may have just approved a large special assessment to finance an improvement, and some owners may not be pleased with how the...

Rules passed by a homeowners association are for the good of the community, and safety rules are especially geared towards protecting members. In a planned community that’s laid out in a neighborhood fashion, a major risk of accidents is traffic—specifically, speeding or careless...

Whether they’re sunset or city skyline views, homes in areas noted for their scenic beauty are a hot commodity. Homeowners who have paid a premium for housing that boasts those views feel they should be entitled to enjoy them—unfettered by other structures or foliage that might later...

With almost 800,000 bankruptcy filings in 2016 alone, chances are that someone living in your community will declare bankruptcy at some point. And the likelihood grows if your association is in the South, where the highest numbers of bankruptcies are recorded....

At first glance, an association’s structure and management seem straightforward. A planned community or condominium building typically has a set of governing documents, a board of directors who make sure that the rules and regulations in those documents are followed, and a manager who,...

Finances are a huge consideration for community association boards and managers. It takes money—and sometimes lots of it—to keep a community or condominium building up to high standards and running smoothly. If you manage an association or serve on your association’s board of...

The nature of condominium buildings—that is, units stacked on each other—means that occasionally an accident in one condo will affect the adjacent unit. Flooding is a common cause of damage to multiple units, and it can happen from appliances like dishwashers and washing machines...

No matter what industry you work in, finding and hiring good employees is difficult. While the economy has recovered, there are still many jobseekers who apply for jobs that they are unqualified for, just because they need employment. And a candidate who seemed like a good choice for your...

Much of the national conversation and controversy regarding the 2016 presidential election has centered on the integrity of the voting process. Speculation that voting results can be influenced by hacking has been in the media. And whether high-tech interference with the voting process is a...

Association living has many perks, and it seems that around every corner there is a new development with condos, townhouses, or freestanding homes. But after the excitement of a new planned community or condominium building dies down, and you and your property management company have been hired...